Egyptian Visions
by tari.nef
Summary: This novel is about a timid medical resident Misha, who goes to Egypt to help her best friend Aaliah with her latest archaeological discovery. As she is out on this venture, a series of events lead Misha back in time to experience something she has never expected nor experienced. Read on to find out more about her journey. Thank you for visiting my page. Love to hear your feedback
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The alarm was going off. "Urgh, I hate this alarm" said Misha. She was never big on waking up bright and early in the morning, especially when the mornings were dark and gloomy. Grudgingly she woke up and started with her morning routine. Just as she was remembering that today would be a good day, she had a date tonight, she noticed that a pimple was starting to come out on her chin. "Perfect" Misha thought, as she slapped on concealer, "well nothing I can do about it now". She took a step back to look at the rest of her face. At least the pimple wasn't that noticeable. Her dark gray eyes, almost chameleon in color, would distract her date from the pimple. Her eyes had the color that would change depending on what color clothes she was wearing or the make-up that she used. Never being a huge fan of her body, she was tall and a little too lean, her skin was caramel color. Definitely,she thought, her eyes and dark rich hair were her best features, and showed off her unique personality.

While she walked down to her kitchen she was thinking to herself of the new dress that she would have to buy for tonights date. Currently she was wearing. She was wearing a cotton-silk dress that had spaghetti straps with a low neck. Her dress was long and flowy. She always loved wearing long flowing dresses during the hot weathers, it made her feel like a princess. She would definitely like a long flowing dress to wear tonight. A knock on the door interrupted her morning daydream, opening it she sees that its her best friend Aaliah, they have known each other since childhood. Meeting in elementary school they were inseparable all throughout high-school and university. Even though they chose separate careers, they were rarely ever apart. "Are you ready? The presentation is starting soon, we gotta hurry" Aaliah cried. Aaliah, who chose to become an Egyptologist, was unveiling a new Egyptian artifact today. Both Aaliah and Misha loved anything to do with Egypt, but while Aaliah made her hobby her career, Misha was forced by her parents to become a doctor, like so many generations before her.

Since it was Mishas birthday, Aaliah had arranged to let Misha come along to visit an ancient temple in Saggara that she had just discovered. It was dedicated to Anuket, who was the goddess of the Nile. This was her big debut and with any luck would lead to her becoming a famous Egyptologist. Misha couldn't have been happier for her old friend. During their university years together, they studied together and took any chance that they could to learn about the lives of the ancient Egyptians. Misha knew almost as much about Egypt as Aaliah, she knew how they lived and how to decipher some of the hieroglyphics.

"So why are we going to this temple if its all in ruins? What am I going to see there?"Misha asks.  
>"The temple was ruined from outside, however the inside seemed pretty intact and we have discovered many scriptures and books of the ancient Egyptians. This is an amazing discovery, now we get to understand more of the ancients how they lived life" Aaliah replied. She seemed ecstatic to the point that she was about to burst with anticipation.<p>

They climbed into the sweltering car, the AC not working, to take the short ride over to the site. Once at the site Misha immediately noticed the dashing young man waiting outside the conference, his name was Luke, a friend of Aaliahs, but Misha had always had a crush on him. He always made her feel shy and her heartbeat quicken. Truth be told, Misha could never control herself around good looking men, and being a doctor prevented her from having much of a social life, so she never mastered the are of covertly flirting with the opposite sex. Luckily hundreds of cameramen and people from the press was there, so she could hide amongst them. Still Aaliah grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the good-looking man.

"Hey Luke, how's it going? Are you here for the big conference?" Aaliah asks Luke while rolling her eyes at Misha. Misha missed her friends condescending tone, all she could concentrate on was his big smile and gorgeous eyes. "Yes I am" Luke replied. She would have loved to have been able to have a conversation with him. Aaliah had always said that they would hit it off, but instead she became tongue tied and nervous. Making an excuse of wanting to see the ruins before it became too crowded, she disappeared into the crowd.

Once Misha was at the runs, far enough away, and her heartbeat had slowed, she turned back to look at Aaliah and Luke. The two made a good working couple. Aaliah was the lead on the excavation, and Luke was on her team. They were both now on the podium talking about their new discovery. All Misha noticed was Lukes dark blond hair, and how his tan made his eyes seem so blue.

"Oh, pull it together", Misha scolded herself, " how will I ever be able to have a decent conversation with a guy, if I get flabbergasted every time one of them looks in my direction".

While trying to calm her nerves, she heard a low rumble, "must just be all the equipment, and the noise of the crowd". She started to wander off into the ruins. They looked so dirty and the walls were falling down. It was difficult to imagine that this temple was one of the most magnificent of its time. Difficult to imagine it looking clean, and used by the ancients. The hallway had small trees growing inside it, wild flowers had taken over the passageways. Even with all the rubble, the place stilled smelled nice because of the wildflowers, and the ruined statue of Anuket still looked beautiful. The vines around her body gave the place an earthly glow. She looked graceful, even though some of the stone was damaged. Most noticeable were the statues eyes, they seemed like glass, seeing nothing and everything at the same time. It was mesmerizing. Suddenly Misha had the urge to touch the statue. She walked up to it, and reached out to touch the delicate bracelet that still hung to its wrist. The next thing that Misha knew was that she couldn't let go, the wind started to blow, and she heard strange noises. She tried to run, but she was caught up in the trance of Anukets statue. Mishas heart pounded, everything around her became dark and cloudy, her legs became numb, and she was caught up in a whirlwind and felt herself fainting.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

She came to sometime later, "Wow I have such a bad headache, what happened? I must have slipped and hit my head, I better find Aaliah" Misha berated herself for wandering off on her own. Thinking that she needs to get a grip, she was a soon-to-be doctor, and this fainting and not being able to handle tricky situations will not do. She definitely needed to get a grip. Standing slowly, she notice the Nile for the first time. She could not remember it looking so beautiful. The lush greens of the river were shining blue. Trees were swaying in the wind, this was an Egypt that she could get used to she thought.

She heard someone approaching her, turning she saw a dark skinned young man dressed in a white robe walking toward her, "Are you feeling unwell my lady"? he asked. Misha felt faint, here was another good looking man wearing very little and she had nowhere to run. The man kept staring at her.

"I think I'm in heaven, my headaches couldn't have given me a better dream" she realized that she had just spoken that out loud and immediately blushed. The man kept on staring at her, as if trying to figure out where she came from.

Mishas mouth felt salty, and she had the taste of blood on her tongue, her hands looked paler than normal. She thought maybe she had gone into shock, she tried to stand, but blood rushed from her head, and she felt dizzy again. The young man came and helped her to her feet, he continued to support her as she got her footing. Misha could feel him staring at her, questioning her, and she was starting to blush again, just like every time when a good looking man looked at her. She never understood why men made her feel this way, suddenly she wished Aaliah were with her, she was always so calm and cool in these situations. Aaliah was strong-minded and always confident, even when talking to gorgeous men. Misha looked around and could not see her friend, or any of the press around. The lecture must have ended, and everyone must have left, Misha thought. "Well, if Aaliah wasn't here to save me in this situation, then I better man up, and learn some confidence" Misha gave herself a small pep talk.

The man is yelling at her, "Can you hear me, whats your name, what happened?"  
>"I think I was dehydrated and fell" Misha stammered. The man continued to bombard her with questions, and continued to stare at her in a questioning way. Misha just wanted to sit down for a minute to collect herself. " YES, I am fine" she finally yells at him so that he would stop with his questions. The man takes a small step back, looking hurt and ashamed. Misha immediately felt bad. "I just thought that you were mute or deaf when you didn't answer me, I did not mean to annoy you" the man apologized. They both stare at each other, and out of relief and stress, they began to laugh.<p>

"Thanks for helping me out there, I was having a terrible headache and I think I must have fainted. I don't remember walking to the river." He interrupts her "I brought you here, and you did faint into the ground near the Anuket temple. You are lucky I found you, if it was some other men, they would have sold you as a slave. You seem like you are not from here and I wanted to see who you were, and to make sure that you were safe".

Misha looked confused, what in the world is this man talking about, sold her as a slave? The man suddenly didnt seem so friendly anymore and Misha decided that it may be her cue to leave. Egypt is known to have its share of creeps, and just her luck she found one when she was alone and at her weakest moment. It was time that she got her bearings, and got a safe distance away from this creep. She took a step away, and looked around. She knew that she was near the Nile, but that was about it. She didnt know what part of the Nile she was near. She couldnt see any buildings, all she could see was lush tropical bamboo trees, and miles of grasslands. Wait, that wasnt right she thought. Egypt was a desert, must be an illusion from hitting her head, she just needed to lie down and sleep for a while. The compass in her head was thrown, and she had no idea how to get back to the city and home. No one else was around, except for this creepy guy, but really he didnt seem that bad, something in her gut told her that she could trust him. Maybe she had just misunderstood what he said. She decided to trust her instincts, "so, do you think you can give me a ride back to the city if you dont mind"? People had always warned her that she was too trusting, but she had to get back to the city, and there was no way she was going to be able to walk back in her condition. She had to hope that she was right, and this man was as nice as he looked.

The man looked at her "I am heading back to the city, I can take you with me. Do you know anyone from there?" Misha nodded, she wanted to to minimize any conversations with him, her instincts told her to trust him, but she still felt confused and disoriented. They walked for a few minutes, he held her arm to support her as her legs were still shaking. Misha began to look around, and her confusion deepened, all she saw were chariots and horses and men in short white robes. Her brain, trying to compensate for the strange things that it saw, reasoned that she must have stumbled onto a movie set, yes, they were always filming movies in Egypt. The dig site must have been near a movie set. That is the reason for the costumes, and the set decorations. This man was probably just an extra, and a very good looking one too. Misha began to feel better, even excited, she had always wanted to be a part of a movie. She would have to remember to bring Aaliah back so that they could explore, and maybe take a ride in one of the chariots. The set was very well done, Hollywood had done an amazing job at making everything look so real.

Misha and that young man approached a chariot with two horses harnessed to it. They climbed aboard. Misha thought this was weird, but the director probably just wanted to keep the movie as authentic as possible. She felt like a star riding in the chariot standing next to the man. For a moment she even considered changing careers to become a movie star.

The chariot approached a city that was surrounded by a gate, Misha starred in shock at the level of detail that the direct mush have went through to make everything look so real. She thought that the director must be a big shot with all the money that he could spend on props. Everything looked marvelous, the details of the gates, huts that stood in for a marketplace, even the people walking around could have been taking right out of ancient Egypt. She couldn't see any cameramen or the director anywhere, she figured that they were just well disguised so to preserve the authenticity of the film. Misha thought about how Aaliah would have loved to walk around this set, it really did feel like she had gone back in time to when the ancient Egyptians lived. It had been Aaliahs dream to live and breath ancient Egypt, hence why she became an Egyptologist. Misha was a big fan of Egypt and history, but since studying medicine, she was content to help people in need. She had a gift for it, but Aaliah would have loved to have been here, and try to point out the mistakes that the set director may have made.

The young man had pulled the chariot to a stop in from of a house that was made out of mud bricks and straw. It seemed fresh, like it was actually made out of mud instead of Styrofoam or whatever movies usually used. It even had a garden in the front yard. "This is my house," the man said, "if you want you can come in and have some wine, give me some company. It is my day off from work, and you seem like you need to sit down, and that you have interesting stories that you can tell". Misha shot the man what she thought was a coy smile, "Sure, I would love to come in. Your house seems so nice and real, I didn't know that you guys got a house included in your work package. And the garden smells so lovely, you must enjoy working on this set. Perhaps you can tell me more of your work over some wine". He gave her a wide smile and took her hand to lead her into his house. The house felt cool and inviting, even though outside was baking under the Egyptian sun. They obviously have AC here, and the material used to construct the houses probably keeps a lot of the heat out, Misha thought.

A low rumble forced Misha out of her daydream, she was hungry and her stomach was rumbling. She realized that she hadnt eaten anything since breakfast, and it had to be mid-afternoon by now, she must have blacked out longer than she thought. "You must be hungry and thirsty, let me fetch you some food" The man offered. Misha blushed, happy that she listened to her instincts, he really was very kind and gentle. After drinking some wine, she started to feel better, her head was becoming clearer. She could see and hear things properly now. "That was all that she needed", she thought, "some food and nourishment, and now I can make sense of my surroundings". She looked around, and looked at the young man who had been so kind and helpful. He seemed of African origin, maybe with a mix of Persian. He was tall, with a well muscled body that comes from manual labor. He never took his dark searching eyes off of her. Misha looked away, trying to settle her nerves, he seemed like the strong quiet type, it would have to be up to her to make conversation.

"What is the role that you are playing? You seem a soldier to me". Misha questioned. He seemed shocked by her statement, Misha took it as he was surprised that she had guessed his role in the movie so easily. "Yes, I am a soldier for the great pharaoh. IT is an honor to serve him". Misha suppressed a small giggle at his dedication to his role, she thought she had found someone who may be more serious about his work than herself. Maybe they could be friends, they could force each other to have more of a social life.

"So do you like your work?" Misha asked, "how often do you get to travel to exotic locations like Egypt?"  
>He looked at her with those dark eyes and answered " I have always served the royal army, just as my father had and his father before him. We have always served the royal family with our loyalty and our lives. As you know, not many people get to serve the Royal family, it is one of the biggest honors that anyone could ever have." Misha bit down another giggle, wow this guy is really into his role, and his archaic view and loyalty to a royal family is a little boring. She thought that he really must not get out a lot, he could have impressed her so much more by telling her about his other roles and all the places that he has been. Is this how movie actors really try to impress people? By staying in character even when they are off the clock? Misha though that the next time she sees Aaliah they need to have a talk about dating, and how to find men who will be more interesting. She really had felt as thought she had stepped back into the year 2000 BC. Having a strong man was one thing, but all this talk about blind loyalty and dying for a pharaoh was very old age. She needed a man to be and think for himself.<p>

Misha decided to play along, after all, maybe he was just nervous, he needed help to come out of his shell. She could also never be mean to someone who had been so nice to her. Maybe a little flirting would help him, and maybe if she played along she would be able to have an adventure, or even just a one night fling. All of her other friends were always talking about their adventures across the globe and with exotic men. She never had anything to contribute. It would be nice for a change to be able to be the one with the story.  
>"So what is your name in your role?" She asked him with a big smile trying to sound interested. "Merenpath" A man of few words she thought, he seemed mysterious, and she liked that about him. So far her adventure seemed to be going well, he was a very good looking man, with deep dark eyes and a mysterious way about him. He seemed to have so much to say, but it was going to take time to drag it all out of him. The only thing that Misha found that he was lacking was passion, she had always wanted a man to bring out her passionate side. But she had to make do with what she had. And really, sometimes mystery trumped passion, she imagined that this would be a story that would keep Aaliah and their other friends on the edge of their seats. She thought about Aaliah, who must be worried about her by now, she wanted to continue this adventure and see where it went, but she would definitely need to talk to Aaliah first. She would come back.<p>

"Merenpath, i really appreciate you taking care of me, and the wine and food, but I think that its time for me to get back to my friends, I promise to come back, I just dont want them to worry. Do you could tell me which direction I would have to go to get to Saggara?"  
>He looked at her with wide eyes, "A beautiful women such yourself should never wander the streets alone. I told you men will come and get you and they will try to sell you off to the highest bidder."<br>Misha looked at him annoyed, ok, maybe he was just a little too into his role, maybe this wasnt the adventure for her. "I am not going get kidnapped. We live in a world where women have rights and are free to walk where they want, we do not live in make believe sets make to look like ancient times..."

Mishas rant was cut off by a group of men who rushed into Merenpaths house breathing heavily. One of the men gasped for breath and said "The pharaoh has been hit badly and he needs medical attention. The local sinew tried to help him but it seems a lot worse." Wow Misha thought, everyone on this set takes their role so seriously, even used the correct term for an Egyptian doctor, sinew. "The royal sinew is attending the queen and he is an hour away." the man continued.

Oh these melodramatic actors, well it may be fine to play along, I may even be asked to be a part of the film Misha thought. "I can help, I have passed all my exams as a doctor and should be getting my license soon." Merenpath grabbed her arm and pulled her close, "you possess the skills to save the pharaoh?".

Without waiting for Misha to answer, Merenpath dragged her to the chariot and they were off. The horses raced the chariot through the maze of the market place, Misha felt that they were going so fast they were almost flying. She had to hold on to Merenpath just to keep from falling out. Merenpath held her steady, she gained her footing as was able to look around at the city as they passed. It was absolutely magnificent, everything seemed so freshly painted that she could almost smell the color pigments. She began to notice the actual market place, and even the way that everyone spoke. As the wind rushed through her hair, she her head began to clear, her brain began to actually take in the reality of her surroundings. The air was very fresh, almost too fresh, not like the smog filled air that hangs around most cities of this size. The lush fertile landscape was too real to be anything synthetic. She started to come to her senses, could this really be a movie production? Or was she having a very vivid dream? Misha pinched herself to see if she would wake up, the chariot went over a rock and she bumped into him.

"Opps, sorry Merenpath," Misha said, "this is new to me, I have never been on a chariot. I think I am ok now" Misha steadied herself.  
>Merenpath looked down at her with a deep gaze, "Not to worry, I'll catch you if you fall". Misha blushed, her heart was melting. The passion may not be all there, but this man certainly knew what to say.<p>

The 10 minute ride felt like half an hour standing so close to Merenpath, feeling his strong body against her. Finally Merenpath pulled on the horses rains and they halted near the east side of the Nile. Misha knew this side of the Nile well, she had last been there with one of the many dates that Aaliah had set her up with. She had come as a weekend getaway with Aaliah, who had a conference to attend. While Aaliah was lecturing, she kept sending Misha off with random men, ones who thought they could help Misha come out of her shell. Misha came out of her revive, her brain started to speed. When did the sycamore trees come in? She hadnt seen them the last time that she was here, and that had only been a year ago. The Acacias also looked so fresh, so new. She realized that she had spoken out loud because a soldier looked at her strangely and said that the trees had been there for over 50 years! The soldier gave her a quizzical once over glance and began to lead them inside. Misha froze for a moment, that just didn't make sense, no it's not possible, her brain kept making leaps and bounds. It hit her finally, maybe she wasn't in modern day Egypt anymore. Maybe, somehow, she was in ancient Egypt. But how was that even possible? Her logical doctors brain tried to find another conclusion. But there just wasnt any. But time travel did not exist, and even if it did, science fiction told us that you had to have a machine like a T.A.R.D.I.S or a flux capacitor to do it. Misha thought back, she could not remember coming close to any. Then again there was the mesmerizing eyes of Anukets statue, and she did touch the bracelet….in fact that is when she started to feel dizzy, and she passed out. Was it possible, did she time travel back into ancient Egypt? It certainly seemed so, her brain could come up with no other logical explanation. Everything here was just too real to be a set.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Misha tried to catch up to Merenpath to get some answers, but before she was able to talk to him, she saw a man lying on the floor. He was wearing the royal headdress called a nemes, and he looked like he was in severe pain. If it was true that she had somehow time travelled back to ancient Egypt, then this person must be the pharaoh, only the pharaoh can wear such a headdress. Looking at the man on the floor, the man who must be the pharaoh Mishas medical skills came into play. This man had been shot with an arrow, that was still sticking out of his side, he was in pain, but he was trying to hide it. He seemed very strong and powerful, but there were still beads of sweat on his forehead. Of course if this was really ancient Egypt, and this man was really the pharaoh, then he would want to appear strong in front of his men. First Misha must help this man, then she would figure out just want was going on. She approached the man slowly, if this was truly the pharaoh she would have to be sensitive to the respect that he was due. Men like these, especially the old kings of Egypt had a tendency to be moody, say or do the wrong thing and they would have you killed at a moments notice.

As Misha approached the injured pharaoh, he closed his eyes and laid back. Merenpath whispered to the pharaoh, "Your hughness she is a sinew, she will be able to look after your wound and health you. A thousands apologies for not having the royal sinew here, but this young lady promises to be able to help."

Misha bowed before the pharaoh, a soldier gave her the ok to approach, she stood thinking that if she made any mistake in her actions it would mean certain death. She kneeled next to him to better inspect the wound. The thought that she had never seen a better looking man in her life did not escape her. He was dark skinned with chiseled features, he was tall, about 6'1, but underneath all his strength there was a gently quality to him, which of course he probably wanted to hide from the world. For once Misha did not swoon under the mans good looks, her medical brain was working, how was she going to save this very powerful man? She knew the terms and what to do, but was there a special way to address the pharaoh when giving him medical attention? She needed instructions, but of course there were none. So she forged on ahead only relying on her practical medical training.

"Your majesty, May I?" Misha slowly lifted her head to look the pharaoh in the face, he had passed out, a blessing to Misha, one less strong man watching her. She looked at the pharaohs side where the arrow protruded. The skin around was red and severly irritated, there was still blood oozing out. Here goes nothing Misha thought. "Pass me a clean white cloth quickly" She ordered, she then proceeded to pull the arrow out and immediately applied pressure to the wound. She noticed that the blood did not stop, like it should when pressure is applied to a wound, there was something wrong here. The wound wasn't even that deep, what else could cause this much blood flow. Then she figured it out. She had seen a case such as this back in her lab days. The patient had been poisoned, and would bleed out unless an antidote was found quickly. She smelled the wound, it smelled like a jellyfish, but it cant be jellyfish poisoning, they were nowhere near where jellyfish lived. Someone must have gone through great difficulty to douse the arrow in jellyfish venom, and then shoot the pharaoh. Mishas brain searched frantically for what would stop the poisoning from spreading and help the pharaoh, and if they were really in ancient Egypt, what was handy. She had never thought that the class in herbal medicine would benefit her. "Acacia! Please can you bring me some from the trees and some myrrh too, and I need it now!" Misha had startled the young soldier standing beside her. He looked at her frozen with wide eyes. He was clearly frightened and did not want to make a wrong move by trusting someone who may harm his pharaoh. Another soldier appeared at her side and handed her what she asked for. She took the ingredients, chewed them until they were a paste and applied it to the wound. The soldiers around her looked at her with shock and curiosity. She could tell that they didn't know if she was saving the pharaoh or killing him. She turned to the men, "This will help pull the poison from the wound, and save your pharaoh. Can you please bring me some more and some water?"

This time Misha chewed up the Acacia leaves and put them in with the water, and lifted the pharaohs head so that he could drink it. Merenpath began to protest, but Misha gently eased him aside with her best reassuring smile.  
>"Please make sure that the pharaoh drinks this every 15 minutes, he needs to drink all of this to clear the toxins out of his body. If his excretions are a slight red color, it is a good thing, it means that the toxins are leaving the body."<br>While Misha was instructing the slave standing next to her, she could see that Merenpath and his fellow soldiers were staring at her as if they had never seen a female doctor, or even a female who knew about herbs and medicine.

"What do you mean by toxins?" asked one of the soldiers, Misha then remembered where she was, they had probably never even heard the word toxin, let alone seen a woman who knew so much about them. Misha started sweating, trying to come up with an answer that would make sense to these people. Seeing her discomfort, Merenpath jumped in, "Young lady, you look very pale, but you seem to have done a good job with our pharaoh, we have faith in you. Don't worry about Nekhare, he is just very protective of the pharaoh, as all of us are. You must come from a village with more knowledge than us when it comes to using herbal medicine."

Misha sat back with a sigh of relief. Merenpath and the other soldiers huddled around the pharaoh trying to make him comfortable. This gave Misha a chance to catch her breath and think about her situation. It was obvious to her now that somehow she had traveled back to ancient Egypt. Why her, she did not know, or even how it really happened, but in either case she was here, and with no clue as to how to get back. She started to look around trying to place what era she was in. She missed Aaliah. Aaliah would have known exactly where they were, who this pharaoh and all these other people were and what era they were in. She would have also known what to say, and how to act. Misha would have to be careful, one thing she did remember Aaliah saying was that ancient Egypt was not the safest place for women. She would have to watch what she said and did and try not to give away how much of a foreigner she really was.

Merenpath came back up to Misha, "The pharaohs breathing seems to be getting better, and he seems to be in less pain. Thank you, we are forever in debt to you."  
>"You are welcome Merenpath, it was a jellyfish poisoning, that was the only instant cure that I could think of. He should be doing well within a day or two after the toxins have left his body."<br>Merenpath nodded his head and went back to his pharaoh.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Misha knew that once she had helped cure the pharaoh that it was her time to leave and try to find her way home. She did not belong to this place. She took a final look around, Merenpath and the other soldiers were busy looking after the Pharaoh. She looked at him and once again realized how breathtaking he was. His deep strong voice resonated through her whole body. The way that he commanded his men with authority was making her week in the knees.

'No," Misha thought it was just the heat and the events of the day that was making her feel light headed and weak, She really had to get back. She started to slowly sneak out of the area, out of the corner of her eye she noticed one of the pharaohs slaves watching her. The woman looked older than her years, beaten down by her station in life and the hot sun of the desert. Misha looked at her with a pleading smile. The woman gave her a slight smile and bowed her head, she seemed to sense that Misha did not belong to her world, and with kindness let Misha sneak away unnoticed. Misha looked at her, she immediately felt a great gratitude and sadness for this woman, she could tell that while the slave had accepted her life, she still longed for an easier one. Misha left, thankful for being able to leave quietly and wondering where she could go next, and how she would get back to her time.

As Misha escaped into the shadows, she began to realize how tired and hungry she was, and how much her legs hurt. All she wanted to do was get back home, into a bath filled with sea salt and relax with a glass of rose wine. Her eyes became teary at the thought of home, she missed her friends, her family, even her studies. She missed the simple conveniences of 20th century life and understanding the way that they world worked. Although she was only gone for a day, with the rush of events and the heat it felt like she has been in ancient Egypt for weeks.

With sore feet, she managed to get into the heart of the city. It looked familiar to her, as though she had seen this place before. Aaliah had taught Misha about hieroglyphics and how to read them, she also showed her pictures of the ancient cities. Above a sign, Misha recognized the hieroglyphics that read Memphis. It did look like the pictures of Memphis that Aaliah had shown her. She noticed how fresh and alive everything seemed compared to the pictures. There were frescos painted on the walls with vibrant blues and bright reds. The city seemed to come alive around her. It was one thing to look at pictures of dusty old remains, or artist renderings, it was another to actually be able to experience it. To see the people, clearly dressed according to their wealth, to smell the smells and to hear the bustle of everyday ancient Egypt. No one else had ever been able to have an experience as amazing as this. Misha wished that while she was here she would be able to see some of Egypt's nobility, they were very distinct in their clothing, wearing light clothes and wigs. She had heard about the wigs and the jewelry that the nobles wore, and how ornate and beautiful they were.

Misha found a bench where she could sit and gather her thoughts, and where she could watch everything around her. She loved being able to see this side of Egypt that no one in thousands of years had seen, but she also knew that this could be a very dangerous place, especially for a woman on her own. She also had no idea of how to get anywhere, or contact anyone. One had to walk everywhere, there were no cars; carriages and horses were reserved for the nobility, and she obviously knew no one, and was not noble. Misha had always come from a well off family, a family of doctors, she never had to worry about where her next meal came from, or where the money to pay for it did. She never had to worry transportation or where to find shelter.

She started to think about what to do first, and how she could get back home. Then she realized, if she was able to travel back to the past, than there had to be a way to travel back to the future. She had to go back to the temple of Anuket, she was certain that the bracelet of Anuket was what brought her here, and it may be what can take her back. Misha calculated that it would probably be a 3 hour walk back to the temple of Anuket from Memphis, in the hot, unsheltered desert. She needed food and water so that she could stay hydrated. As she stood up, ready to leave this ancient city, she began to wonder how the Pharaoh was doing, and if he or Merenpath will miss her. She had only met Merenpath for a few hours, but she knew that she would miss his charming face and deep dark eyes.

Misha walked towards a street vendor wondering how she was going to be able to pay for food and water. The man looked suspiciously as she approached. She had always been good at reading people, she noticed that while this man had an icy exterior, there was goodness in him, he looked like a desperate man who felt that the world had given up on him.

Misha, gave him her brightest smile and said, "Hello, it seems like you are having a bad day, is there any way that I could help you, and maybe in exchange I can have some food and water?"

The man grunted, "And why would a stranger want to help another stranger, I am no one to you, what could you possibly offer me, either buy something or move along"

Misha, being stubborn, stood her ground, "Sir, please trust me, I know that I am a stranger and look different, but I do mean well, please tell me what is troubling you?"

The man eyed Misha, seeing that she was not leaving he finally gave in. "Fine, I will tell you, but there is nothing that you can do for me, you are a mere woman" Misha nodded for him to go on. "My youngest daughter is very ill, she may not even make it through the night, the medicine is very expensive, and I try to sell my goods, but no one is buying, and I cannot make enough money to buy her what she needs." Tears started to form in the corners of his eyes, he quickly whipped them away. Misha patted his shoulder, "I can help, I know about medicine, I can help your daughter, and all that I ask is for some food and water for my travels."

The man looked at her through bleary eyes, "You are a sinew, and all you want is food, that is very generous of you, you clearly are not from here, how can I trust what you have said?"

"Sir, you must trust me, where I come from, people help each other out, I promise that I have no ill intentions, I just want to get back to my home. It's a long journey and I have no money to pay for food along the way, if I do this for you, then you can do me the great favor of helping me. You must believe that I am a kind caring person, I live to help those in need."

With some apprehension still on the mans face, he orders a slave boy to look after the shop. "I am Paser" The man introduces himself, "What may I call you?"

Misha thought about that for a moment, she thought that if she was stuck here she would have to have an Egyptian name so that people would not ask more questions. "I am Nefertari, but I go by Nef" Misha had always liked that name from one of the Queens of Egypt, she figured that it would be a common enough name for the time.

The walked to Paser's house, it was small, much smaller than Merenpaths house. It did not have a garden, or an elaborate gate to enter through. The house was made out of bricks mixed with straw, it was clearly a house belong to the lower middle class. Paser and the ones who lived on this street were people who worked hard for their money, living day to day, scraping by on meager earnings.

As they stepped into the cool house from the heat of the day, Misha noticed just how different it was from Merenpaths. There was one big room, which doubled as a living space and a kitchen. At the wood burning stove there was a full figured, middle aged woman stirring a pot, this must be Pasers wife, Misha thought. There was one bedroom off to the side. The floor was mud covered with pads and blankets. The house had very little furniture, small clay pots were everywhere.

Paser led Misha into the bedroom where a single cot lay, on the cot lay a little girl. She looked frail, and in pain. She was sweating and had chills at the same time. Misha put her hand to the girls forehead and she seemed to have a high fever.

"What did the doctor say said she had?" Misha asked Paser.

"He said he had a terminal disease and there is no cure. He said that he could give her some medicine that could make her more comfortable and maybe keep her alive for a few more days."

"Ah, I see" Misha examined the girl.

"What do you mean, Ah. Can you help her, is she going to die?"

"I can help your daughter, she does not have a terminal disease. From what I can tell, it looks like an infection from a worm that can come from drinking dirty water. I should be able to save her with a few simple ingredients."

Paser and his wife smiled hopefully at her and fell to the floor with appreciation.

"Thank you Nefertari, you have no idea the joy that this news brings us, anything you need, we can get it" the girls mother sobbed with relief.

"I will need some garlic, ginger and neroli, do you have that here, neroli can sometimes be hard to find. The other doctor must have missed something when examining her, your daughter will be fine" Misha assured Paser and his wife.

Paser ran out the door to go and collect the ingredients that Misha had asked for. The wife turned to Misha and began asking about where she was from, who was she, how did she come to Memphis and to be at her home. Misha answered the questions as vaguely as possible, but the women was very persistent.

Finally Paser returned with the garlic, ginger and a large bag of neroli.

Misha looked impressed, "Where did you get the neroli, it is rare to come by in this area"

"We have a small town where it grows quite well in this weather." He replied.

Misha took the herbs, and clean water and began mixing a drink for the little girl. "She must drink this for two days" Misha explained, "in a few days color will return to her cheeks and she will start to feel better, don't let her go out for about a week, she will need to rest. Also, its very important that she doesn't go to the river or lake and drink any dirty water. Make sure to always drink clean water, dirty water contains parasites that can kill you."

Misha sat down on a chair next to the bed, suddenly feeling exhausted. Paser and his wife were busy helping their daughter drink and making her comfortable.

She closed her eyes for a moment, and the next thing that she was realized was that it was dark outside. There was less noise, and someone had covered her with a blanket, she must have fallen asleep.

Misha could hear evening birds singing outside the house, and a little girls giggle in the next room. She smiled, happy that the girl seemed to be feeling better and that she had be able to help. Misha got up and walked into the next room. The family was rejoicing at having their little girl back and healthy.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you" Paser and his wife repeated to Misha, "You have given us our little girl back, we are forever grateful, you are a true miracle worker! If there is anything that we can do, please name it".


End file.
